Drive arrangement for the card conveying drum of a jacquard attachment



April 5, 1966 K. HOFMANN 3,244,017

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE CARD CONVEYING DRUM OF A JACQUARD ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 9 10 4 L II M 11 r X W Fig. 1

Fig.2

INVENTOR: 6 Konrad Hofmann April 5, 1966 K. HOFMANN 3,244,017

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE CARD CONVEYING DRUM OF A JACQUARD ATTACHMENT Filed Dz-c. 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iv r W l I, I

INVENTOR: Konrad Hofmunn April 5, 1965 K. HOFMANN DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE CARD CONVEYING DRUM OF A JACQUARD ATTACHMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 5, 1963 Fig.5

Fig 6 INVENTOR: Konrad Hofmcmn 6 %MJ M4 film United States Patent 3 244,017 DRIVE ARRANGEMEIBT FOR THE CARD CON VEY- ING DRUM OF A .JACQUARD ATTACHMENT Konrad Hofmann, Reichenbach, Westhausen, Germany, assignor to Universal Maschinenfabrik Dr. Rudolf Schieber G.m.b.H., Westhausen, Wurttemherg, Germany Filed Dec. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 327,544 Claims. (Cl. 74 -151) This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to a drive arrangement for the drum which actuates movement of the Jacquard cards in flat bed knitting machines.

The design produced in automatic fiat bed knitting machines is controlled by so-called Jacquard cards, perforated metal sheets of uniform rectangular shape which are hingedly linked end to end to constitute an endless chain. The location of the perforations is related to the selection of needles in a manner not further relevant to this invention.

During operation of the knitting machine, the chain is fed forward and backward in steps which are integral multiples of the length of an individual card. The chain of cards is trained over a drum of polygonal cross section whose multiple circumferential faces are similar in shape and size to the Jacquard cards which are being conveyed forward and backward by rotary movements of the drum, each drum movement corresponding to a unit step or to integral multiples of the unit step by which the chain is conveyed over the length of a single Jacquard card.

This invention is concerned more specifically with a drive arrangement for the card conveying drum which derives its motive power from the continuously-rotating main drive shaft of the knitting machine, and which is capable of being adjusted by an operator for forward or backward chain feeding steps of different length. Known drives for card conveying drums rely on relatively complex devices and mechanisms.

It is the object of the invention to provide a drive arrangement for a card conveying drum which is simple in design, therefore reliable, and occupies but a minimum of space.

With these and other objects in view, the invention in one of its aspects provides a carrier mounted on a common stationary supporting shaft with the card conveying drum for rocking movement about the drum axis. The rocking movement of the carrier is actuated by the main drive of the knitting machine. A wheel is coaxially secured to the drum for joint rotation therewith. The wheel which transmits the movement of the carrier to the drum at selected intervals and for selected periods is formed with a plurality of recesses spaced about the drum axis. Two coupling members are movably mounted on the carrier member for movement therewith about the drum axis in angularly spaced relationship. During their rocking movement with the carrier, the coupling members pass through respective positions of alignment with the recesses in the aforementioned wheel, and are urged by yielding means to engage the aligned recesses. A control cam is provided to block selected recesses against engagement by the coupling members, whereby engagement of the coupling members with other recesses produces controlled rotary movement of the drum.

The exact nature of this invention as well as other 3,244,017 Patented Apr. 5, 1366 "ice FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1 in plan section on the line IIII;

FIG. 3 shows drive elements of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a different operational condition;

FIG. 4 is a plan section taken on the line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side-elevational partly sectional view of the device of FIG. 3 in yet another operational condition; and

FIG. 6 shows the device of FIG. 5 in front elevational section on the line VIVI.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is seen a shaft 1 which is a part of the stationary frame of the knitting machine, not otherwise shown. A drum 12 rotatably mounted on the shaft 1 is seen in FIG. 1, but has been omitted from the other figures of the drawing for the sake of clarity. The cross section of the drum is a twelvesided regular polygon. A chain 11 of hingedly connected Jacquard cards is trained over the drum, as is conventional.

A wheel 2 having twelve uniformly spaced axially elongated notches 13, 14 etc. cut into its circumference is fixedly and coaxially attached to the drum 1. Each notch has an axial plane of symmetry. As seen in FIG. 2, the wheel 2 is of stepped shape, and a cam disc 7 is rotatably and coaxially mounted on a hub portion 2 of the wheel 2.

The shaft 1 also rotatably supports a coupling carrier 3. The carrier envelops the wheel 2 and the cam disc 7. A radially projecting lug 9 fixedly attached to the carrier 3 is pivotally secured to one end of a connecting rod 3 whose-other end is linked to the main drive of the knitting machine by a crank or eccentric in a manner not further illustrated. The throw of the crank or eccentric is such that the carrier 3 is rocked back and forth through an angle of 60 when the knitting machine operates, as indicated by the radii A and B drawn on the axis of the shaft 1, and by arcuate arrows.

Two coupling arms 4, 5 are fastened to the carrier 3 by respective pivot pins 4', 5' whose axes are tangential with respect to a common circle drawn about the axis of the shaft 1. The coupling arms 4-, 5 thus swing on the respective pivot pins radially toward and away from the wheel 2. The end faces 4a, 5a of the arms 4, 5 opposite the circumference of the wheel 2 are obliquely inclined relative to that circumference. The end face 4a faces obliquely counterclockwise, and the end face 5a obliquely clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1. The two arms 4, 5 are angularly spaced from each other with respect to the axis of the shaft 1. Compression springs 6 urge the free ends of the arms 4, 5 radially inward toward the shaft 1.

The cam disc 7 has two circular lobes 7', 7" of different length separated by two circular face portions of smaller diameter. The diameter of the two lobes is equal to or slightly larger than that of the wheel 2. The diameter of the two other face portions is slightly smaller than that of a circle defined by the bottoms of the notches 13, 14, etc. The angular position of the cam disc 7 on the shaft 1 is controlled by a rod 10 one end of which is hinged to the cam disc 7, whereas the other end, not shown in the drawing, is within reach of the knitting machine operator. He controls operation of the drive arrangement for the drum 12 by means of the rod 10 and of the cam disc '7 as will presently become apparent.

When the cam disc 7 is held stationary by the rod 10 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 while the carrier 3 moves counterclockwise through an angle of 60 from the illustrated position, the oblique end face 4a of the arm 4 slides circumferentially outward of the notch 14 along the outward slope of the cam disc 7, and along a portion of the longer lobe 7 which keeps the coupling arm out of range of the notches in the wheel 2. During the return stroke of the carrier, the arm 4 is returned to notch 14. During the same rocking movement of the 7' until it drops into the notch 13, and then returns to its initial position. In the position of the cam disc 7 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum 12 remains stationary during knitting.

When the cam disc 7 is shifted about 60 from the position of FIG. 1 into that illustrated in FIG. 3 by means of the control rod 11), the rocking movement of the carrier 3 is transmitted to the drum 12 by the wheel 2 as follows: 7

During the counterclockwise stroke of the carrier 3, the obliquely inclined end face 4:: of the coupling arm 4 'does not exert snfiicient pressure on the side walls of the notches 14 and 16 to overcome the friction of the drum on its bearings and of associated structure. The arm 4 is pushed radially outward against the pressure of its spring as it travels over the portions of the wheel circumference projecting between adjacent notches. It then comes to rest in the notch 15. The arm 5 simultaneously travels over the lobe 7' of the cam disc.

During the clockwise return stroke of the carrier 3, a radial side face of the arm 4 engages the radial wall of the notch 16, and the wheel 2 and drum 12 are rotated with the carrier 3 clockwise through an angle of 60. The arm 5 moves idly on the lobe 7'. The chain of Jacquard cards is fed forward by the length of two cards during each revolution of the non-illustrated eccentric or crank which actuates the connecting rod 8.

It will be appreciated that the chain 11 is fed forward by the length of a single Jacquard card when the cam disc 7 assumes an angular position intermediate those of FIGS. 1 and 3. During the counterclockwise carrier movement, the arm 4 travels from the notch 14 to the notch 16, and thence on the lobe 7 while the wheel 2 stands still. During the return stroke of the carrier 3, the arm 4 travels along the face of the lobe 7 until it drops into the notch 16 whereupon it rotates the wheel 2 through 30 as the arm returns to its initial angular position.

When the cam disc 7 is set as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the arm 4 moves idly on the lobe 7' during the rocking movement of the carrier 3. The radial side wall of the arm 5 engages the side of the notch 17 and couples the drum 12 to the carrier 3 for joint movement through 60 during the initial stroke of the carrier 3. The chain 11 of Jacquard cards is moved backward by the length of two cards. During the clockwise return stroke of the carrier 3, the drum 12 stands still, and the arm 5 moves radially inward and outward of the several notches in the wheel 2 until it returns to the illustrated initial position. A position of the disc 7 intermediate those shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 causes the drum 12 to move backward by 30 during each rocking movement of the carrier 3.

The drive arrangement illustrated may be modified to permit a selection between forward and backward movements of the chain 11 which extend over the length of more than two Jacquard cards, and such modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of theexample of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a Jacquard arrangement, in combination:

(a) a support;

(b) a drum member mounted on said support for rotation about an axis;

(c) a chain of linked Jacquard cards trained over said drum member;

(d) a carrier member mounted on said support for rocking movement about said axis;

(e) actuating means for actuating said carrier member;

(f) motion transmitting wheel means coaxially secured to said drum member for joint movement therewith about said axis, said wheel means having a circumferen'ce formed with a plurality of radial recesses uniformly angularly spaced about said axis in a coinmon plane perpendicular to said axis;

(g) twocoupling members radially movably mounted on said carrier member for movement therewith about said axis in said common plane in angularly spaced relationship, the spacing of said coupiing tions of radial alignment with corresponding ones of said recesses;

(h) yieldably resilient means urging said coupling members into engagement with respective aligned recesses;

(i) control cam means mounted on said support and having a circumferential cam face portion about said axis, said cam face portion being engageable with each of said coupling members for blockingselected ones of said aligned recesses against engagement by said coupling members, said cam face portion extending about said axis over an angle which is an integral multiple of the spacing of said recesses;

(j) control actuating means for angularly moving said control cam means about said axis between a plurality of positions, said cam face portion in each of said positions blocking different ones of said recesses; and

(k) disengaging means on each of said coupling members for disengaging the same from an engaged recess when said carrier member moves about said axis relative to said wheel means, the disengaging means being selectively operative during clockwise and counterclockwise movement of said carrier member respectively for disengaging the associated coupling member from an engaged recess.

2. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, each of said coupling members having a circumferentially directed end face obliquely inclined relative to a radius drawn through said end face and said axis, said end faces cons'tituting said disengaging means and being obliquely inj clined in opposite directions relative to the associated radii. '7

3. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 2, each of said recesses being substantially symmetrical with respect to an axial plane therethrough.

4. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, the spacing of said coupling members on said carrier member being substantially 5. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1, said control means having another circumferential face portion about said axis, said other face portion being nearer said axis than said cam face portion.

References Cited by the Examiner v UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,307,376 1/1943 Lorenz 66-15'4 2,797,795 7/1957 West 74-1 57 X 2,881,621 4/1959 Prendergast et al 74-88 BROUGHTON G- DU HAM; rim y x mi er. 

1. IN A JACQUARD ARRANGEMENT, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) A DRUM MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS; (C) A CHAIN OF LINKED JACQUARD CARDS TRAINED OVER SAID DRUM MEMBER; (D) A CARRIER MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID AXIS; (E) ACTUATING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CARRIER MEMBER; (F) MOTION TRANSMITTING WHEEL MEANS COAXIALLY SECURED TO SAID DRUM MEMBER FOR JOINT MOVEMENT THEREWITH ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID WHEEL MEANS HAVING A CIRCUMFERENCE FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF RADIAL RECESSES UNIFORMLY ANGULARLY SPACED ABOUT SAID AXIS IN A COMMON PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS; (G) TWO COUPLING MEMBERS RADIALLY MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH ABOUT SAID AXIS IN SAID COMMON PLANE IN ANGULARLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP, THE SPACING OF SAID COUPLING MEMBERS BEING AN INTEGRAL MULTIPLE OF THE SPACING OF SAID RECESSES, SAID COUPLING MEMBERS DURING SAID MOVEMENT THEREOF PASSING THROUGH A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS OF RADIAL ALIGNMENT WITH CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID RECESSES; (H) YIELDABLY RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID COUPLING MEMBERS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH RESPECTIVE ALIGNED RECESSES; (I) CONTROL CAM MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CAM FACE PORTION ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID CAM FACE PORTION BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OF SAID COUPLING MEMBES FOR BLOCKING SELECTED ONES OF SAID ALIGNED RECESSES AGAINST ENGAGEMENT BY SAID COUPLING MEMBERS, SAID CAM FACE PORTION EXTENDING ABOUT SAID AXIS OVER AN ANGLE WHICH IS AN INTEGRAL MULTIPLE OF THE SPACING OF SAID RECESSES; (J) CONTROL ACTUATING MEANS FOR ANGULARLY MOVING SAID CONTROL CAM MEANS ABOUT SAID AXIS BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS, SAID CAM FACE PORTION IN EACH OF SAID POSITIONS BLOCKING DIFFERENT ONES OF SAID RECESSES; AND (K) DISENGAGING MEANS ON EACH OF SAID COUPLING MEMBERS FOR DISENGAGING THE SAME FROM AN ENGAGED RECESS WHEN SAID CARRIER MEMEBER MOVES ABOUT SAID AXIS RELATIVE TO SAID WHEEL MEANS, THE DISENGAGING MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY OPERATIVE DURING CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER RESPECTIVELY FOR DISENGAGING THE ASSOCIATED COUPLING MEMBER FROM AN ENGAGED RECESS. 